56 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



without a practical knowledge of farming, they are not 

 scientific farmers, although they may claim the title as such. 

 Where is the man that will say he knows that certain fertili- 

 zers applied to certain crops is likely to increase that crop, 

 whether it be grain or grass, until he has had a practical 

 knowledge of the matter? 



The young man who has been through his course of studies 

 and graduated, and has learned in his course of studies that 

 by applying certain fertilizers to the soil will produce satis- 

 factory result, does not show he is a scientific farmer, neither 

 will he presume to say that he cannot do anj'thing more. 



Now, the man who has applied his ashes to certain crops 

 for a term of years, and omitting to put it on a part during a 

 part of the time to ascertain the result, if he finds that where 

 the ashes are not applied the crops are less, he has learned 

 by practical fai-ming that the ashes are beneficial, and he is 

 a scientific farmer as far as he has tested the ash. Now then, 

 if he becomes an expert in all the branches of farming by 

 learning from books and papers, or whatever source, and 

 ascertains the facts by practical tests, he has the best diploma 

 that can be had, and may be deemed a scientific farmer in 

 the full sense of the word. The young man attending the 

 Agricultural College, and after studying agricultural chem- 

 istry a specified time, and only occasionally visiting the farm 

 to see the growing crops, will come far short of a scientific 

 farmer, for he lacks the practical training, with his own 

 labor. Nevertheless, what he learns at the college in theory 

 will be of great and lasting advantage to him all through his 

 lifetime. 



That our prosperity as a country does in a great part, if 

 not wholly, depend upon our agricultural interests, no one, 

 I presume, will doubt. That very much in proportion as 

 this great branch of industry is intelligently managed, we 

 may reasonably expect advancement in prosperity and wealth ; 

 neither are we to achieve the desired end by appropriating 

 our farms entirely to one species of farming. If we raise 

 corn or wheat for export, this will of course be our principal 



